Re: An entirely different angle on the GNOME VFS

[Dominic Howells <mail-list domhowells com>]

On Sun, 2003-09-21 at 20:24, Martin Waitz wrote:
> a os-level solution does not have to be linux-only!
> 
> look at amd or sfs
> 
> you can write a portable daemon that exports /vfs (or whatever) via nfs
> and export that.

Indeed an os-level solution can be extremely portable, although to be
fully exploited it does rely on *some* kernel functionality which is
perhaps not availible in all legacy UNIX. The idea of exporting via NFS
is one which had not occured to me, and it more portable still than
relying on the kernel to allow processes to manage mounts - so thanks
for that thought.

I think the poster to whom you replied did not read on to my post where
I suggest that what can be implemented with ease on Linux would need if
anything only trivial patches to other OSes; with NFS of course no
kernel-level patches are needed at all.

I will try and get a framework together for /vfs (and I am currently
thinking of having $HOME/vfs as well to deal with network connections,
i.e. non-anonymous logins, while /vfs deals with local devices). The
life or death of such a project would not be its usefullness but rather
whether gnome apps would be prepared to refer to /vfs/camera rather than
camera:/// - if not then its use is limited because it still involves an
inconsistency between gtk and non gtk apps.

Thanks,

Dom.

-- 
Dom Howells | e: dom domhowells com
t: 01844 339355 | m: 07956 224714
-- 
Dom Howells | e: dom domhowells com
t: 01844 339355 | m: 07956 224714